Chicago Sports Network will be the new home of the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks starting in October

The Chicago Sports Network will be the new TV home of the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks after its launch in October, the regional sports broadcaster announced Monday.

CHSN will replace NBC Sports Chicago, which has been the teams' home since October 1, 2004, when it launched as Comcast SportsNet. NBCSCH's contract with the teams expires on October 1.

The question that everyone is probably asking is: Will we be able to see it?

It would be easy for CHSN to replace NBCSCH in viewers' program guides, but it's not that simple. Although the network said it will launch with deals with cable, streaming and over-the-air providers, no names were mentioned in the announcement. And Comcast, the largest provider in the Chicago market, has been working hard with RSNs lately.

Comcast dropped Diamond Sports Group's 18 Bally Sports channels on April 30 after Diamond resisted a move to a higher tier. On Friday, Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said on The Score that he was concerned Comcast might drop the team's Marquee Sports Network when its broadcast contract expires in September. A Comcast spokesman had no comment.

The high cost of broadcasting sports programming and the limited reach they achieve locally have forced cable providers to move these channels to higher-priced plans. Gone are the days when all cable viewers subsidized the roughly 10% of them who regularly watch sports.

CHSN said it will make a series of distribution, talent and programming announcements throughout the summer. It will broadcast from studios at Guaranteed Rate Field and the United Center, where Stadium, the multi-platform sports network owned by Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, is based. Stadium will provide content for CHSN.

Kevin Cross, president and general manager of NBC 5, Telemundo Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago, began meeting with those affected in person on Thursday to ensure employees get back on their feet.

From Jeff Agrest

Standard Media Group will invest in and help distribute the network, with content coming from Stadium, which is expected to keep its name when it converts to an RSN in the autumn.

From Jeff Agrest

The teams are expected to join Stadium once their contract with NBC Sports Chicago expires in October. On Saturday, The Athletic reported that the teams will partner with Standard Media Group, a company based in Nashville, Tennessee.

From Jeff Agrest

In 1982-83, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks games were broadcast on SportsVision, a pay-TV service developed by his business partner Eddie Einhorn. The service was so far ahead of its time that it failed miserably.

From Jeff Agrest

Behind-the-scenes staff at NBC Sports Chicago, such as producers, directors and production technicians, would help ease the transition. The teams have already informed some of their current employees of their move.

From Jeff Agrest

“Maybe it's the best option available,” Marc Ganis, co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based Sportscorp Ltd., said Wednesday. “Sometimes you just have to take the best option available, even if it's not ideal.”

From Jeff Agrest

The teams' contract with rights holder NBC Sports Chicago expires in October, but there is a possibility the parties could agree to a six-month extension, in which case Stadium would take over when the Sox begin play next year.

From Jeff Agrest

Although Chicago has been spared the chaos that has engulfed markets with the collapse of regional sports networks, there is plenty of uncertainty. We believe teams could structure their broadcasts in three ways.

From Jeff Agrest

The network is a joint venture between the three teams and Standard Media, a small company based in Nashville, Tennessee, that invests in CHSN and helps with distribution. Pending league approvals, the network plans to gain wider reach in the Midwest, including most of Illinois and parts of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

“When we set out to design the network, we began and ended every discussion with the simple question: What is best for our fans?” said CHSN President Jason Coyle. “What is the best distribution approach? How can we push the boundaries of both in-game and studio production? We plan to serve our fans on as many platforms and in as many markets as our rights allow.”

Coyle has spent more than 20 years in senior leadership roles in Chicago's sports media industry, most recently as president of Stadium, which will continue to operate in its current form online and through its app and distributors.

Beth Heller, a consultant at Chicago-based M. Harris & Co. who handles CHSN's communications, said the network has a plan to differentiate itself from other RSNs despite turbulent times in the industry.

“Our model starts with serving the fan in many ways, including expanded distribution by geography and platform,” Heller said. “We're playing a long-term game here with a combination of traditional and non-traditional revenue streams through expanding platforms and an increasing focus on engagement.”

NBCUniversal, which is expected to close NBC Sports Chicago, did not comment on the loss of the teams and referred to a statement from RSN.

“We thank the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks for their long-standing and cooperative partnership at NBC Sports Chicago,” a network spokesperson said. “We look forward to producing high-quality coverage of the teams during the remainder of our partnership, while continuing our comprehensive coverage of every local professional team in the city on NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago.”

CHSN announced it has begun building its staff and launched its website, CHSN.com. The first games will be the Bulls' and Hawks' preseason games. The Sox will finish this season on NBCSCH before moving next season.

The rookie will be asked to do what the 1985 team did with Chicago: captivate.

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